[StBernard] THANK YOU

[Westley Annis]

I liked what Jim (The True St. Bernardian) had to say !!!!
 
Besides time and effort, it costs financially to go back to clean up....it
costs to fill up that gas tank or buy the lawn tools to take care of the
yards or pay someone to gut the house or clean the yard.
 
My home in St. Bernard was paid for......I used all of my insurance
settlements to purchase another home, but because of the price gouging in
the housing market, I have a mortgage payment that I didn't have before!!!!
So, you might ask, " what did I have left over to buy appliances and
furniture" .....there are many new expenses related to trying to start over.
Not to mention having to continue to pay insurance premiums and the expected
taxes on the damaged home.....or the cost to replace a flooded car. 
 
I am doing a lot of penny pinching lately.... trying not to deplete what
little funds that were meant for retirement.  Also you need to consider that
some of us have had to accept jobs paying a lot less that what was received
before Katrina.
 
These are some of the reasons I haven't cleaned up my property.  Still not
good enough, right?  Because you want to go back and live in St. Bernard and
you want some unrealistic dream to come true....that life will be as it was
before Katrina....well, guess what??? Katrina happened and everything and
everybody has changed and will never be the same because of it.  It will be
years before St. Bernard looks livable again.
 
MMM